Here is what you missed at this week's Rotary meeting!
Meeting Recap 08/15/19
Visitors:
- Judy Gigliotti guest of Joann Longo and Bob Dellecese
- Jennifer Kemp and Fransico Quintana parents of exchange student Fiona Quintana
- Ellen and Jim Smith parents of Erik Smith exchange student
Rotarians in the News:
- In the OD Jim Day and David Bagley with this past summers RYLA student
- Dana’s monarch butterflies are flying and he is naming them each one
- Many Rotarian’s businesses were nominated best of the best: Passalacqua and Associates, Stanley Theater, Chester’s Flowers, Munson Williams, John Brown (father Chris Brown)
Announcements:
- Monday, August 19, 6-9 pm Utica Rotary at the Levitt AMP Utica Concert Series at Kopernik Park, across from the Munson-Williams Proctor Arts Institute, bring a chair for some musical fellowship
- Larry Calabrese back in the hospital – St Lukes
- Benefit for Abraham House August 28th at the Delta, celebrity bar tender event
Program: Returning Youth Exchange Students from Clinton High: Fiona Quintana who went to Argentina and Erik Smith who went to India shard their stories of their year abroad.
Fiona’s exchange was difficult at first, but when she got the right host family things went really well, she made a lot of new friends, had incredible experiences and has changed a lot. She visited many places and spent many days at the beach with friends. In Argentina it rains a lot, when there is a lot of rain it is like American kids having snow days, they close the schools. She is very thankful to Rotary for this life changing experience.
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Erik made good friends with the other exchange students because Indian kids don’t get together after school like American kids do, they stay home and study. There are many holidays in India and even more festivals that go on for days with dancing and food late into the nights. Erik wanted to teach his host family about thanksgiving and searched the city for corn and potatoes, he even made an apple pie for them. He rode camels out into the desert, flew kites and went white water rafting. He was able to visit several temple and go the Arabian Sea. He was also very thankful to Rotary.
Utica Rotary is very thankful to Fiona and Erik’s family as both families have brought exchange students into their homes.
Programs coming up:
August 22nd – Photographer Karl Ermisch of Ermisch Marrone Photography
August 29th – Professor Luke Perry from Utica College